Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Gaudí's Casa Milà (Metro: Diagonal) and the Block of Discord, where three Modernista
greats jockey for your attention (Metro: Passeig de Gràcia). By the way, if you're tempted
to snap photos from the middle of the street, be careful—Gaudí died after being struck by a
streetcar.
Block of Discord
Three colorful Modernista facades compete for your attention along a single block: Casa
Batlló (the only one you can really get inside), Casa Amatller, and Casa Lleó Morera. All
were built by well-known architects at the end of the 19th century. Because the mansions
look as though they are trying to outdo each other in creative twists, locals nicknamed the
noisy block the “Block of Discord.” It's on Passeig de Gràcia (at the Metro stop of the same
name),betweenCarrerdelConselldeCentandCarrerd'Aragó—threeblocksnorthofPlaça
de Catalunya and four blocks south of Casa Milà.
Casa Batlló (#43): First, most famous, and rated , is the green-blue ceramic-speckled
facade of Casa Batlló, designed by Antoni Gaudí, with an interior that's open to the public.
Ithastibia-likepillarsandskull-likebalconies,inspiredbythetime-testednaturalformsthat
Gaudíknewmadethebeststructuralsupports.Thetiledroofhasasoft-ice-cream-coneturret
topped with a cross. The humpback roofline suggests a cresting dragon's back. It's thought
that Gaudí based the work on the popular legend of St. Jordi (George) slaying the dragon.
But some see instead a Mardi Gras theme, with mask-like balconies, a colorful confetti-like
facade,andtheridgeofaharlequin'shatuptop.TheinscrutableGaudípreferredtoleavehis
designs open to interpretation.
While the highlight is the roof, the interior of this Gaudí house is also interesting—and
even more over-the-top than Casa Milà's (described later). Paid for with textile industry
money, the house features a funky mushroom-shaped fireplace nook on the main floor, a
blue-and-white-ceramic-slathered atrium, and an attic (with more parabolic arches). There's
barely a straight line in the house. You can also get a close-up look at the dragon-inspired
rooftop. Because preservation ofthe place is privately funded, the entrance fee is steep—but
it includes a good audioguide.
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